Beautiful Rienzi; or, The Secret Vendetta — page 79: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

72 BEAUTIFUL RIENZI. of the matrons will do; bring one to me without loss of time.” Once more I was alone, scarcely breathing—my conscious- ness all submerged in one thought. | In two minutes the man returned; there was an apologetic smile on his face. ‘‘T am sorry to say that all the matrons are particularly engaged, too,madam. ‘The fact is, it is against the rule for visitors to be received into this establishment; all business, however urgent, is conducted by letter. You had better write a note, madam, and I will carry it to the doctor.” «That won’t do,” I said, rising; ‘‘the matrons are walk- ing with the patients in the court”—-he gazed at me in sur- prise, and I returned a look of cool determination—‘“* so without taking any of them from their duties, I will, if you please, be conducted to the court-yard where they are.” As he still hesitated, evidently taken by surprise, I ad- vanced resolutely with the half-formed intention of passing him. 3 My wild expression in this instance stood my friend. Evi- dently thinking I was insane myself, he started back, closed the door, and rushed down a flight of stairs, probably to summon a keeper. I determined to risk all in one bold move, so I softly reopened the door, watched the man’s hand on the iron balustrade until it had disappeared, then lightly followed him, keeping my garments out of sight. He was unlocking a door at the end of a long corridor, with the upper half grated; I lurked behind an angle until he had passed through, then rushed after him. I was a sec- ond too late, however—the door closed with a spring and left me inside, gazing through the bars. I saw what I came to see, however. A file of women passed on the damp stone flags, not ten feet from me; round they came, some forty souls, in sad procession, two by two, with hands clasped before them in listless apathy. The women in brown kept an inner circle, marching round with watchful eyes and stern mien; and here and there a poor soul was sharply repri- manded, whose hands were pinioned and whose eyes glared from side to side, as her lips babbled with ceaseless energy. _ But one among this Comus-like crew crept gently on, with head downcast and hards meekly folded together on her _ breast; and of them all her face was whitest and saddest. — ey tT, “ oe > (co eae eS Oe pea . , te Os : PF A eS hs ee ie hy cull . x . e s ' : s ‘ ecomicbooks. co — eS